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The Middle East Problem | 5 Minute Video

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The Middle East conflict is framed as one of the most complex problems in the world. But, in reality, it’s very simple. Israelis want to live in peace and are willing to accept a neighboring Palestinian state. And most Palestinians do not want Israel to exist. As Dennis Prager explains, this is really all you need to know. In 5 minutes, understand how Israel was founded, and how, since that auspicious day in 1948, its neighbors have tried to destroy it, again and again. 

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Script:

When I did my graduate studies at the Middle East Institute at Columbia University’s School of International Affairs, I took many courses on the question of the Middle East conflict.

Semester after semester, we studied the Middle East conflict as if it was the most complex conflict in the world — when in fact, it is probably the easiest conflict in the world to explain. It may be the hardest to solve, but it is the easiest to explain.

In a nutshell, it’s this: One side wants the other side dead.

Israel wants to exist as a Jewish state and to live in peace. Israel also recognizes the right of Palestinians to have their own state and to live in peace. The problem, however, is that most Palestinians and many other Muslims and Arabs, do not recognize the right of the Jewish state of Israel to exist.

This has been true since 1947, when the United Nations voted to divide the land called Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state.

The Jews accepted the United Nations partition but no Arab or any other Muslim country accepted it.

When British rule ended on May 15, 1948, the armies of all the neighboring Arab states — Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Transjordan, and Egypt — attacked the one-day old state of Israel in order to destroy it.

But, to the world’s surprise, the little Jewish state survived.

Then it happened again. In 1967, the dictator of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, announced his plan, in his words, “to destroy Israel.” He placed Egyptian troops on Israel’s border, and armies of surrounding Arab countries were also mobilized to attack. However, Israel preemptively attacked Egypt and Syria. Israel did not attack Jordan, and begged Jordan’s king not to join the war. But he did. And only because of that did Israel take control of Jordanian land, specifically the “West Bank” of the Jordan River.

Shortly after the war, the Arab states went to Khartoum, Sudan and announced their famous three “No’s: “No recognition, no peace, and no negotiations,”

What was Israel supposed to do?

Well, one thing Israel did, a little more than a decade later, in 1978, was to give the entire Sinai Peninsula — an area of land bigger than Israel itself, and with oil — back to Egypt because Egypt, under new leadership, signed a peace agreement with Israel.

So, Israel gave land for the promise of peace with Egypt, and it has always been willing to do the same thing with the Palestinians. All the Palestinians have ever had to do is recognize Israel as a Jewish state and promise to live in peace with it.

But when Israel has proposed trading land for peace — as it did in 2000 when it agreed to give the Palestinians a sovereign state in more than 95% of the West Bank and all of Gaza — the Palestinian leadership rejected the offer, and instead responded by sending waves of suicide terrorists into Israel.

Meanwhile, Palestinian radio, television, and school curricula remain filled with glorification of terrorists, demonization of Jews, and the daily repeated message that Israel should cease to exist.

So it’s not hard to explain the Middle-East dispute. One side wants the other dead. The motto of Hamas, the Palestinian rulers of Gaza, is: “We love death as much as the Jews love life.”

For the complete script, visit https://www.prageru.com/videos/middle-east-problem

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36 Comments

  1. Here, let me give you a 5 second summary.
    Britain stuck their nose in where they never had any business, just like every other place where there is regional conflict, and forced people to live in a way they didn't like. Then the Brits ran home, and everything went to hell. Just like india and Pakistan, just like israel Palestine, just like countless other places. The world would be a far better place if these clowns had just stayed tf at home instead of building an "empire'

  8. The USA/collective Western plot is always the same.
    The people of the Greater Middle East, including the Levant (most of whom are Semites, and the followers of Abrahamic religions) have been divided and ruled over by outsiders for centuries. Because it is easier to divide people based on personal differences, than it is to unite them, based on what they have in common. Strategically ambiguous outsiders make use of this, for own advantages. In the era of empires, first Rome/Constantinople, then during WW1 the seat of POWER playing these games changed to London/Paris (Sykes-Picot/Balfour Declaration/WW1), then after the 1950's as European colonialism's power decreased, starting around the time a bark by Washington DC in 1956 (Suez Crisis/War) showed who the new boss was, the role of divider was simply taken over by Washington DC (the entire ME was the playground during the Cold War). Now the intention is simply to avoid unity in the ME, in order to rule over the dissent which is classical divide-and-rule. Today, their leaders are ALL tools. Draw lines on the map without asking any of those affected. Exploit and foster endless wars, meddle for constant dissent.
    Divide-and-rule connects the dots on the timeline of history.
    Who has had (in all historical cases in the ME/Levant) the GEOGRAPHICAL ADVANTAGE of distance from the events resulting out of the own meddling and political activities, being able to reach all the other regions, but could not be reached itself as hegemony, at any given point of a historical timeline? Pax Romana, Rome. Pax Britannica, London. Pax Americana, Washington DC. All they ever wanted was pax, because they said so, but who picks up the pieces of great wealth and the systemic gains when all the others can be avoided from uniting?
    Different Empires. Different era. Same games…
    ————————————-
    The people of the Africa have been divided and ruled over by outsiders for centuries. Tribalism makes it easy to divide people, then keep them poor under the "kind foot" of exploitation. In the era of empires, first Rome/Constantinople in North Africa, then during the era of Western imperialism the seat of POWER playing these games changed to the USA/Europe, then after the 1950's as European colonialism's power decreased, Africa was the playground during the Cold War. Once the dividers had reached peak power for themselves, by simply drawing lines on the map without asking any of those affected (Congo Conference/1884) the own systems of gain could siphon off wealth like a giant vacuum cleaner. The intention was simply to avoid unity in Africa, in order to rule over the dissent which is classical divide-and-rule. During the Cold War, Moscow took on the role of arming the resistance to the colonial dividers. Today, all African dissenters fighting against unity, including some of Africa's own greedy corrupt leaders, are ALL tools. Endless wars, constant dissent.
    Give the weak mind money, and they will dance for the outside dividers…
    Divide-and-rule.
    Oldest trick in the book…
    Different people and systems. Different places on the map. Same games.
    ————————————–
    The people of the Americas, including the USA, have been divided and ruled over by outsiders for centuries. In the beginning stages of era of European Imperialism, first Spain and Portugal entered the Americas, employing the divide-and-rule technique of top-down power on the local systems (Aztecs/Incas), and as European colonial powers' influence decreased during the 19th century, the role of divider was simply taken over by Washington DC. As the own power increased incrementally, the entire world became the playground after around 1900. Today, it is the globalists who employ imperialist tools to play divide-and-rule games on their neighbours.
    Forget nukes. The divide-and-control/rule/conquer strategy is the most powerful force on the planet, because it can be employed equally in times of peace to CONTROL, in times of crises to RULE, and in times of war to CONQUER.
    Ever since the two-faced snake slithered down that tree of unity (fable), speaking out of both sides of the mouth (lies, deceit), the wisest human beings have fruitlessly warned, and the easily divisable have continuously been warned against divisions within a peaceful status quo. When you bow to the division caused by deception, you will lose the good life…"and much that once was, is lost; for none now live who remember it." Such divisions create GAIN for OUTSIDERS (Eden as a system divided by lies and deceit).
    Now the intention is simply to avoid unity in the Americas, in order to rule over the dissent which is classical divide-and-rule. Endless wars on anything and everything from "drugs" to "terror" (sic.), constant dissent with everything's a war war war…
    Insert levers of lies, mistrust. The two-party-duopoly is two cheeks of the same golden hind which set out to create favourites: Favouritism, by granting access to the own POWER/WEALTH, to those who volunteer to act as proxies and extensions for the own power projection. The small picture lives of domestic political chaos, of the big picture reality of international insanity. Point the systemic (MSM) finger, everywhere else, by use of the own paid stooges of power by presenting their deep state-orchestrated three-letter-agency astroturfed violence on multiple tiers as being the reactions of "the poor oppressed people, who need our help for freedom and democracy" (sic.). Liars, deceivers, creators of the BLACK LEGEND for the "other side".
    In February 1948, George F. Kennan's Policy Planning Staff said: "[W]e have about 50% of the world's wealth but only 6.3% of its population. … Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity." Kennan: A prototype GLOBALIST. And that is what they did to increase their own wealth. Set up people against each other, then siphon off the wealth of entire regions of the planet.
    And that is what you are fighting for. That is what the hegemon has always done, pretending to be the "good pax", but playing "good cop/bad cop" with the world, from a position of power. In the past, the "good cops" were the INTERNATIONALISTS, and the "bad cops" were the IMPERIALISTS. In the present that has morphed into the "good cops" being the GLOBALISTS/NEOLIBS, and the "bad cops" being the NEOCONS. Name-branding and doublespeak for the slumberland plebs, enchanted by their "bread-and-circuses"-existences.
    America's friends and self-proclaimed default rivals in Eurasia are still being burnt to ensure this disparity continues, with a (quote) "pattern of relationships" which are beneficial to the own rule. Set up European and Eurasian nations (including the Middle East/North Africa) against each other. It is how divide-and-rule is implemented. The imperialist playbook of Great Britain and the USA for more than 100 years. Read Halford Mackinder (Pivot of History, 1904) and Zbigniew Brzezinski (Grand Chessboard, 1997) regarding Eurasia for the template. Read W.T. Stead (Americanization of the World, 1901) for the guideline of political-, cultural- and economic capture. Read Smedley-Butler (War is a Racket) for the modus operandi of imperialism/militarism.

    Some say Europe is a divine goddess. I say, it is a humble apple tree, from an allegory as old as modern civilizations, because it is easy to divide.
    Divide and Rule.
    Oldest trick in the book…
    Four corners of the globe. Different cultures and religions. Same games.
    THE LINK OF THE WORLD.
    The entire system they favor in the USA/collective West is based on a pre-set managed and moderated division, for the benefit of a very few at the top of the pyramids accompanied by the often-repeated nice-sounding storyline. Create the script of the own heroes. Their entire scripted money-funded history sounds like a Hollywood superhero movie that sounds too good to be true. Guess what? It is. It is what they are NOT telling you, that they try to hide.

    Who wields the POWER? Who has had the GEOGRAPHICAL ADVANTAGE of being able to reach all the other little buck catchers (tools, and other Roman-era style instruments of POWER), but could not be reached itself, because of a geographical-, technological-, organizational-, military-, strategic-, political advantage at any given point of a historical timeline? Create the default rival/enemy on their own marching routes. It is usually the power most likely to succeed which is determined as the default rival/enemy. Notice how, as soon as a rival starts mass-producing products high up in the value chain of capitalism, and starts vying for markets, and becomes successful, it immediately becomes the systemic rival, and is then geopolitically encircled by the greater empire. It happened around 1900, as Germany started building high-value products, and it happened around 2000, as China started moving away from building cheap toys and labor intensive kitchen appliances…

    The games start on the home turf. The first victims are their own people in the USA/collective West, locked in the eternal struggle for wealth and personal gain which they have been deceived into thinking is "good greed", but which WILL be exploited by the snakes who deceive them on the domestic tier of the divide-and-rule system of power. Because …"most of the great problems we face are caused by politicians creating solutions to problems they created in the first place." – Walter E. Williams
    War is a great divider. It goes straight through the heads of millions and billions of people from the very top tiers, right down to the individual level. War divides alignments and alliances, goes straight through organizations, divides political parties, tears through families, and finally at the very bottom tier, goes straight through individual hearts and minds as individuals struggle with themselves.

  9. Ugh, should have listened till the end as you stated CLEARLY what I hastingly mentioned in comments, one side VALUES the opposite of life and prosperity. It's basic. To solve this – one sides values has to do a 180° turn. The world only changes when you change your mindset and attitude

  10. FIVE TIMES any proposal was refused. palestinian VALUES are DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, not life and prosperity. Thousands were killed in Jordan (black september) later in Kuwait etc. no arab nation wants this toxic bread. What does strike a cord is NO ONE reporting, protesting about muslim KILLING muslim in yemen syria lebanon afganistan sudan. pakistan will deport over a million people back to afganistan etc. Bias reporting against one nation only.

  21. The maps at the end skipping 2,000 years of history??😭 literally said “538-63 B.C. – second kingdom” then skips to present day?😭 skipped over the Roman’s / Byzantine / Islamic caliphates / Crusades / Ottoman / British ????????

  33. Incase you want actual facts, not from a made up University, here I go…
    European settlers immigrated to Palestine, they started buying land, and ending up committing massacres against the Palestinians to push them off the land.
    The British tried to control the situation and stop more Jews immigrating to the land, and the Jews started committing terrorism against the British.
    Britain came up with a plan to split up the land and left it to the UN.
    The UN recommended the land be split up, and asked to take it to the Security council. The Jews didn't wait for it to become legal, they declared the land to be theres.
    The Palestinians refused, and resisted. The Jews committed more massacres and forced the Palestinians off the land and out of their homes.
    The other Arab countries joined the fighting with the goal of preventing more massacres, but the new state of Israel was heavily armed by the UK and USA, and completely outnumbered the Arabs and out gunned the combined Arab force. The Arab armies didn't send a large force, only a few thousand men, and most didn't even enter Israel.
    By the end of the fighting, Israel now occupied the majority of Palestine, with 750,000 forced out and never allowed to return to their homes. The remaining Palestinians were placed under apartheid. The Arab states refused to recognise Israels forceful occupation and without provocation, Israel invades all its surrounding countries. I need to stress the point that Arab countries in theses days were not wealthy and had small poorly trained and useless armies. After winning the war it started, Israel took more of the land and now occupied millions of more people.
    These people were placed under military rule and resisted all the way with acts of resistance commonly referred to as terrorism. In response to resisting occupation and apartheid, Israel brutally clamped down all all who resisted, invaded, a few more countries and finally were forced out of Lebanon, and forced out of Gaza. Israel then placed Gaza under blockade for 20 years. During this time, Israel bombed it killing tens of thousands of children and innocents, and the Gazans peacefully protested. The peaceful protesters were gunned down in their thousands by Israeli snipers. The more militant groups recruited and took the fight to Israel with rocket and terror attacks. Then on Oct7 2023, Gazans broke out the cage of Gaza, and took the fight to Israel. They wiped out the Gaza Garrison and took hostages, some went on to commit brutal acts of violence. Israel responded with genocide.
    The fact is, 2million innocent people are locked in Gaza living under apartheid.
    They have a few options.
    A) Vote in their democracy. (they are under apartheid)
    B) Peaceful protest. (thousands gunned down in the last protest)
    C) Just accept their fate. (Would you say that to Jews in concentration camps?)
    D) Resist? (Which is what they are now doing)